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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bay · swing · bank · toast · club · bat · ball

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — to play on
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. toast — bread
  17. spell — magic
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — music
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com